Z The Swedish Fish Incident  ONESHOT
by Fanatical Writer
Summary: Emily's quest for Swedish fish leads to a night of interesting events at the Hotchner household! ONESHOT


_This story was inspired by the Candy Land Challenge Prompt for Swedish Fish, Hotch, and Emily. ilovetvalot was gracious enough to let me 'adopt' the prompt, so many thanks to her! _

_I hope you enjoy the story!_

"Em?"

With a gasp, Emily Hotchner spun around. "What?" she asked, her voice sharper than she'd intended due to her shock.

Hotch grinned back at her. "What are you doing?" he asked knowingly.

"Nothing," she said breathlessly. "God! Why do you _always_ have to sneak up on me?" She supposed her _guilt_ had something to do with her reaction. She certainly wasn't going to admit that she'd stolen some of her own daughter's Halloween candy. But she couldn't find the goods anywhere! She could have sworn she'd put them in the basket in the middle of the kitchen table, but they were gone!

"I _never_ sneak up on you," he argued. "You're always so…on your guard."

"Yes, well—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Jack flew into the room. "Haley's a mess," he informed Emily.

She frowned. "Haley's in the bathtub".

Jack nodded furiously. "Yeah, but her hair is messy," he said, wrinkling his nose. "It's all…sticky".

Emily groaned as she sprinted from the room, only to come to a screeching halt just inside the bathroom door. "Haley!" she said, mortified at the sight that greeted her.

"Look, Mommy! Fishies!"

Emily sighed. "I see those fishies," she said in dismay. Those delectable, red little fishies…all melted from the warm water. "Where did you get them?" she asked, falling to her knees beside the tub.

Her little girl beamed up at her, her raven hair all wet and matted with little red chunks in it.

"In the kitchen," she said happily. "But I don't think these fishies like water."

"That's because they're _Swedish_," Emily told her as if that explained everything.

"What's going on?" Hotch asked from the doorway.

"Oh, your daughter decided to use her Halloween candy to make an aquarium in the bathtub," she informed her husband.

Hotch grinned. "Why is it that she's always _my_ daughter when she does something naughty?"

Haley's big blue eyes filled with tears. "I was naughty?" she asked.

Hotch was beside the tub in an instant. "No, honey. You weren't naughty." He squirted some shampoo into his palm and rubbed his hands through his daughters' hair. "I was just kidding." He couldn't take it when her eyes welled up with tears. It nearly broke his heart. It certainly made for some interesting arguments with Em, though. _She_ was the one who tried to discipline; whereas _he_ was the one most likely to give in. And Haley had figured _that_ out pretty quickly. He finished washing her hair, then let the water out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her little body, lifting her into his arms.

"Story time, Daddy?" she asked.

Hotch nodded as he kissed his daughter on the top of her head. "Story time," he confirmed.

XXXXX

After finally getting the red gummy chunks scrubbed off the tub, Emily rinsed it one last time, and then stood, surveying her work. With a satisfied nod, she made her way down the hallway to Jack's room. She knocked and waited for him to invite her in before opening the door. "How's it goin', kid?" she asked.

"I'm almost done," he said, holding his book up for her to see. God, he was growing up so fast. At nine years old now, his face had lost the boyish look that had always graced it. He'd thinned out early, and the planes of his face were already prominent. He was going to be a heartbreaker, just like his father. Emily could tell already.

She nodded. "Thanks for the heads up about your sister," she said as he made her way into his bedroom, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead.

"You're welcome," he said distractedly, his nose already back in his book.

Emily grinned. "Love you, kiddo," she said on her way out.

"Love you, Emmy," he said.

XXXXX

Emily walked into her daughter's room to find her already asleep. Halloween night had been a flurry of activity, and it was well past her usual bedtime. Emily guessed she'd fallen asleep before Hotch had even finished the first page of her book.

She supposed some people would think she was crazy, naming her and Hotch's daughter after his late wife. But as far as Emily Prentiss was concerned, Haley had taught Hotch how to love, and for that, she was indebted to the woman for life. Hotch had been against the idea at first, but she'd been able to convince him—with some compromise. If they were going to name their daughter after his first wife, then he'd announced that they were also going to name her after his second, and shortly after _that_ decision, Haley Emily Hotchner had been born.

She was the most precocious four-year old Emily had ever met, but then again her experience with children was limited to Jack and Haley. She walked into the room and pulled the blankets up to her daughter's chin, then kissed her softly on the forehead before making her way to her own bedroom. Hotch was on the bed watching television when she walked in, but when he saw her, he lifted the remote off the bed and turned the television off. "Stealing candy from our kid, Em? Really?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Hotch, I—"

Hotch made his way to his knees and crawled towards the edge of the mattress, crooking his index finger at his wife. She approached the bed cautiously. "Emily, we're been married for five years now. When do you think you're gonna start calling me Aaron?" He asked the question he'd posed hundreds of times before, and his wife did what she always did. She grinned.

"You didn't seem to mind _last_ night when I was _screaming_ your name," she reminded him huskily.

"You think I'm gonna scold you while you're getting off?" he asked.

She laughed. "Well, SSA _Hotchner_," she said as she lifted her arms around her husbands neck, "Since you're constantly getting the job done, I suppose I'll never get scolded."

"God, you make me sound _soooo _good," he said appreciatively.

She threw her head back in laughter and it only took a second for his lips to find her neck. She moaned in delight, but then groaned in frustration when he pulled away.

"What are you doing?" she asked in disappointment.

He just grinned at her. "Trick…or treat?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "I've had enough tricks for tonight, Hotch."

Her husband reached up underneath her pillow…and pulled a box of Swedish fish out.

"Oh, my hero," she breathed, practically diving for the fish.

But he pulled them just out of her reach. "Not so fast," he said.

Emily faked a sob. "Honey, I've been _dying_ for Swedish fish," she said. He, of course, already _knew_ this.

He grinned. "And there's something _I've_ been dying for," he informed her.

She groaned, but her husband wouldn't give in.

"Let me tell you how this is going to work," he started.

She sighed. "How's this going to work?" she asked, willing to do anything for the yellow box he held in his hand.

"I'll trade you _one_ Swedish fish…for one piece of clothing," he said, grinning widely at his wife.

She grinned back. Clearly this Halloween was going to end with a _treat_…

And most likely…a bang.


End file.
